9781422280164

On February 23, 1847, the Battle of Buena Vista took place under the command of Major General Zachary Taylor. The Americans were completely victorious.

As state fought state, the militias naturally played an important part, yet the struggle went right to the heart of their dual identity as members of a federal-state organization. The divisions were overcome, however, and the nation’s National Guardsmen ended the century fighting together side by side to win victory in the Spanish-American War of 1898. The American Spirit The National Guard was always what we would now call a reservist force—part-time sol- diers as opposed to a full-time standing army. Yet this did not for a moment mean it was unimportant. From the beginning, Americans were proud of their National Guard, feeling

C itizen S oldiers : T he N ational G uard

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